2012: What Investors Can Expect

If you had slept Rip Van Winkle-style through 2011, you'd be awakening now to find that your stock portfolio was much the same as you left it. Presuming you stayed awake, you endured a volatile year for equities. Market swings were so violent that by the third quarter many investors threw in the towel for a loss. Had they stuck it out, they would have found that stocks - despite all those gyrations - ended flat for the year. That's past. The new year is a good time to poll market analysts on their outlook and to find out if there are moves small investors should take - or avoid - in 2012.

DIVIDEND-PAYING STOCKS: These have come into favor in recent years, and some investment experts are recommending them again. Mature companies that don't need every penny to fuel their growth tend to pay dividends. Their stock price likely won't skyrocket, but investors are rewarded with cash dividends. "The dividends help people stay invested in times of volatility," Warne says. She advises looking for companies that have a long track record of raising dividends regularly.

Source: BND.com

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